A Philippine cabinet secretary went on the record Sunday: police have inspected the former Cebu home, a laptop is with forensics, and a definitive statement is promised in a week. No charges have been filed, and Thomas Markle Sr. denies everything.
By Emily Sinclair — The Insider, CelebnMusic247
The investigation into Thomas Markle Sr. moved from tabloid report to on-the-record official statement on Sunday. Jonvic Remulla, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of the Interior and Local Government, told Agence France-Presse on Oct. 25 that the Philippine National Police had “inspected the former home of a certain Mr. Thomas Markle,” where “a trove of child pornography materials as well as a laptop” were allegedly found, per USA Today. Remulla named Thomas Markle Jr. as the source who reported the alleged evidence. These remain allegations. No charges have been filed against Markle Sr., and he denies the claims completely.
“The full results in one week”
Remulla gave the investigation a public timetable. “The laptop is currently going under forensic investigation and we will have the full results in one week,” he told AFP, per USA Today. “The PNP will coordinate with their counterparts to locate and take appropriate legal actions against Mr. Markle if found that there is sufficient evidence to charge him.” The Times reported the forensic work covers hard drives and mobile phones as well as the laptop.
Speaking to The Guardian the same day, Remulla paired his strongest language with an explicit caution. “In these cases where family disputes are mixed up, we have to consider all the angles,” he said, per USA Today. “Right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind. We want to be sure before we release the findings.” His request was for time: “Please give us a week to determine the contents and to come up with a definitive picture. We will release a statement then,” per Just Jared.
The FBI’s own statement, and a new denial
One part of this story is no longer a matter of reporting about the FBI — the bureau has spoken for itself. “The FBI is aware of the allegations and will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities. We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law,” the agency said in an Oct. 23 statement to USA Today. The Times noted Markle Sr., 82, is in a rehabilitation centre in Florida after having his leg amputated, and that he may also face investigation in the US because he was understood to have been living in Pennsylvania when the alleged offences occurred.
Markle Sr. answered again over the weekend. He had already issued an Oct. 23 statement to the Daily Mail denying possession of child sex-abuse images and accusing his son — Meghan Markle‘s half-brother — of “trying to destroy me with these lies,” per USA Today. After The Sun published an Oct. 24 report about a 2025 letter in which Meghan severed ties, Markle Sr. told the Mail on Oct. 25 that he had paid for sex in the past but has never had sex with anyone under 18, per USA Today.
Where this leaves the story
Sunday’s development does not settle anything, and it is important to hold both halves of that sentence. What changed is the level of confirmation: a named cabinet official has confirmed an inspection, a forensic process and a one-week timeline, and the FBI has confirmed its own awareness and support role on the record. What has not changed is the legal position — an ongoing investigation, disputed allegations, a family split down the middle, and a denial from the man at the centre of it. The next confirmed fact in this story arrives with the forensic findings Remulla promised within the week.
The 247 Take — For three days this story ran on a son’s account and a family’s denials. On Sunday it acquired something it did not have before: an official, a process and a deadline. A secretary of the interior does not promise a definitive statement in a week unless his department intends to deliver one — and whatever that statement says, it will be the first finding in this case that belongs to investigators rather than to the Markles.
More celebrity news at CelebnMusic247.com.
Sources: USA Today (Remulla’s Sunday statements to AFP — the inspection of the former home, the allegedly found materials and laptop, the one-week forensic timeline and the coordination-and-charges language; his Guardian remarks including the “possible sex offender” line and the family-dispute caution; the FBI’s Oct. 23 statement to USA Today; Markle Sr.’s Oct. 23 Daily Mail denial and his Oct. 25 statement to the Mail; background on his return to the US and Florida rehabilitation) | The Times (forensics covering hard drives and mobile phones, complete in about a week; the possible US investigation tied to Pennsylvania; Markle Sr.’s denial of the allegations as “sick lies”) | Just Jared (Remulla’s request for a week to determine the contents and reach a definitive picture before a statement; officials will consider criminal charges if the evidence supports them; the investigation remains ongoing and the allegations have not been proven) | Discovery: Celeb Insider Report slate checked first — its Thomas Markle item led to this story, verified at origin above via USA Today (standing desk source) and cross-checked against The Times and Just Jared.
